Aggies on wrong end of knockout

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Johnny Manziel #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies is sacked by defensive end Danielle Hunter #94 of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 23, 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Photo By Sean Gardner/Getty Images

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Johnny Manziel #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies is flushed out of the pocket by defensive end Jermauria Rasco #59 of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 23, 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Photo By Sean Gardner/Getty Images

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Johnny Manziel #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies shakes hands with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the LSU Tigers after their game at Tiger Stadium on November 23, 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 23: Defensive back Deshazor Everett #29 of the Texas A&M Aggies breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 23, 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Photo By Sean Gardner/Getty Images

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 23: Defensive back Howard Matthews #31 of the Texas A&M Aggies breaks up a pass to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the LSU TIgiers at Tiger Stadium on November 23, 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Photo By Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is tackled by LSU linebacker Lamin Barrow (18) in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. LSU won 34-10. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Photo By Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Texas A&M players kneel in prayer before an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) scrambles in the second half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. LSU won 34-10. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Photo By Houston Chronicle

A&M's head coach Kevin Sumlin on the sideline during the fourth quarter of a college football game at Kyle Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, in College Station. LSU won the game 24-19. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle )

BATON ROUGE, La. — Texas A&M has rather enjoyed throwing haymakers on opponents who simply couldn't keep up with its frenzied offense over the past two seasons behind coach Kevin Sumlin and quarterback Johnny Manziel. A confounded A&M trudged out of Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, however, with an odd feeling vibrating through its aching jaw.

“We got punched in the mouth today,” said Manziel, “and it wasn't fun.”

No. 22 LSU delivered a stunning 34-10 knockout of No. 12 A&M before 92,949 fans, prompting nightmares of the past decade to surface for fans who'd become comfortable with the Aggies competing in every game in the mighty Southeastern Conference.

“We weren't able to stay on the field offensively, and because of that, our defense got grinded down,” Sumlin said. “We couldn't make enough plays offensively to get in a rhythm of any sort.”

Sumlin's four previous losses in his two seasons at A&M had been by a combined 19 points, but Saturday's setback was by 24. The Tigers, who outgained the Aggies 517 yards to 299, also snapped A&M's school-record tying 10-game winning streak away from Kyle Field.

“I wouldn't want to play us here,” a satisfied LSU coach Les Miles said of his team's dominant showing.

In the days leading to A&M's first game in Baton Rouge since joining the SEC in 2012, Sumlin had pointed out that many of LSU's defenders who'd slowed Manziel last season (in a 24-19 LSU victory in College Station) had left for the NFL. The new Tigers' defense, however, offered up a solid impersonation of its effort from a year ago in squashing the running and throwing of the dual-threat Manziel.

“They're athletic,” Sumlin said of the Tigers' revamped defense. “They've got good players. They've just got a good scheme.”

Added Manziel: “They kept us guessing. They kept mixing it up.”

Just before entering the stadium tunnel after the game, Manziel avoided a throng of grasping adult hands and gently handed his white stocking cap to pint-sized A&M fan Reese Atterberry, 5, who'd made the trip to Baton Rouge from Beaumont sporting a No. 2 Manziel jersey.

The young man in the real Manziel jersey, however, had a much harder time eluding the grasps of LSU defenders. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner finished with a career-low passing percentage (.390) after completing 16 of 41 for 224 yards, to go with two interceptions, two sacks and a touchdown. Manziel said afterward he has been bothered by an injured thumb but added it didn't impact his throwing Saturday.

Said LSU linebacker Lamin Barrow: “Kind of like last year, we did a good job of keeping Manziel on the sidelines. We were able to keep him moving around in the pocket. We made him throw across the field, and he wasn't always able to make those throws.”

Manziel's chances of repeating as Heisman winner are greatly diminished as a result, based on the idea the LSU defense was supposed to provide a real “test” after he'd spent the previous month on his home field running and throwing over the suspect defenses of Vanderbilt, UTEP and Mississippi State.

Also, the primary goal of A&M (8-3, 4-3) remaining this season — playing in a Bowl Championship Series game for the first time since 1998 — is no more after Saturday's whipping. For their part, the Tigers (8-3, 4-3) finally put together the kind of game they'd been hoping for with a young squad after enduring close losses to Georgia and Ole Miss and a not-so-close setback to top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

“We've got to get back to the basics, the fundamentals of pitch and catch and throwing the football around,” a frustrated Manziel said. “If we don't establish those and get those going, we don't have much of a chance.”

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BATON ROUGE, La. — Texas A&M has rather enjoyed throwing haymakers on opponents who simply couldn't keep up with its frenzied offense over the past two seasons behind coach Kevin Sumlin and quarterback Johnny Manziel. A confounded A&M trudged out of Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, however, with an odd feeling vibrating through its aching jaw.

“We got punched in the mouth today,” said Manziel, “and it wasn't fun.”

No. 22 LSU delivered a stunning 34-10 knockout of No. 12 A&M before 92,949 fans, prompting nightmares of the past decade to surface for fans who'd become comfortable with the Aggies competing in every game in the mighty Southeastern Conference.

“We weren't able to stay on the field offensively, and because of that, our defense got grinded down,” Sumlin said. “We couldn't make enough plays offensively to get in a rhythm of any sort.”

Sumlin's four previous losses in his two seasons at A&M had been by a combined 19 points, but Saturday's setback was by 24. The Tigers, who outgained the Aggies 517 yards to 299, also snapped A&M's school-record tying 10-game winning streak away from Kyle Field.

“I wouldn't want to play us here,” a satisfied LSU coach Les Miles said of his team's dominant showing.

In the days leading to A&M's first game in Baton Rouge since joining the SEC in 2012, Sumlin had pointed out that many of LSU's defenders who'd slowed Manziel last season (in a 24-19 LSU victory in College Station) had left for the NFL. The new Tigers' defense, however, offered up a solid impersonation of its effort from a year ago in squashing the running and throwing of the dual-threat Manziel.

“They're athletic,” Sumlin said of the Tigers' revamped defense. “They've got good players. They've just got a good scheme.”

Added Manziel: “They kept us guessing. They kept mixing it up.”

Just before entering the stadium tunnel after the game, Manziel avoided a throng of grasping adult hands and gently handed his white stocking cap to pint-sized A&M fan Reese Atterberry, 5, who'd made the trip to Baton Rouge from Beaumont sporting a No. 2 Manziel jersey.

The young man in the real Manziel jersey, however, had a much harder time eluding the grasps of LSU defenders. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner finished with a career-low passing percentage (.390) after completing 16 of 41 for 224 yards, to go with two interceptions, two sacks and a touchdown. Manziel said afterward he has been bothered by an injured thumb but added it didn't impact his throwing Saturday.

Said LSU linebacker Lamin Barrow: “Kind of like last year, we did a good job of keeping Manziel on the sidelines. We were able to keep him moving around in the pocket. We made him throw across the field, and he wasn't always able to make those throws.”

Manziel's chances of repeating as Heisman winner are greatly diminished as a result, based on the idea the LSU defense was supposed to provide a real “test” after he'd spent the previous month on his home field running and throwing over the suspect defenses of Vanderbilt, UTEP and Mississippi State.

Also, the primary goal of A&M (8-3, 4-3) remaining this season — playing in a Bowl Championship Series game for the first time since 1998 — is no more after Saturday's whipping. For their part, the Tigers (8-3, 4-3) finally put together the kind of game they'd been hoping for with a young squad after enduring close losses to Georgia and Ole Miss and a not-so-close setback to top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

“We've got to get back to the basics, the fundamentals of pitch and catch and throwing the football around,” a frustrated Manziel said. “If we don't establish those and get those going, we don't have much of a chance.”